ARLA Elite Series News & NotesDejao Given Permission to Talk to Other Teams for 2012

After the OX200 @ Buffalo Downs, MRD Motorsports owner Tom Delgado reportedly told Suiiju Dejao that he has his blessing to talk to other teams about plans for 2012. Sources close to the situation indicate that Delgado told Dejao that he is not in the MRD plans for 2012. B.B. Wolf's Rib Emporium will most likely follow Dejao to his next ride. There is no word on who will replace Dejao in the #37 for 2012.

Rumor Control: Delgado to Replace Patti in #73 for Rockford

It has been reported by a few questionable media outlets that Amy Patti's time in the #73 Gold Star Security Nemoto will end after the Decatur 300k. She and Tom Delgado have been at odds since the start of the season, and she is apparently eager to get away from motorsport just to get away from Delgado.

Those very same rumor mongers have also claimed that Tom Delgado will drive the #73 himself at Rockford, while potentially putting Azuma Kazeyama in the #87. These plans, of course, are pending Delgado's Master Cup commitments.

In the second race of the Albuquerque 300 Presented by Boyack, Amy Patti overcame turbulence around her on several occasions to notch her first career Top 5 finish. It's a shame her best run comes here knowing she's already leaving the team at season's end.

Joseph Howard had another solid top 10 performance in the first race, finishing 8th and moving up to 13th in the championship standings. Howard has 6 top 10 finishes this season to go with 2 top 5's and a win.

Suiiju Dejao continues to crumble as the speculation increases about his future. Dejao finished 20th in race #1, and continues to make enemies with his driving. He fell to 36th in driver's points, and his drive for the rest of the season is now coming under pressure. There are now rumors that Tom Delgado will take over that car himself at Rockford, but nothing is confirmed.

With all the racing done for 2011, at least as far as MRD Motorsports is concerned, a season review is in order for all its teams. We will start in the TM Master Cup Series, where MRD Motorsports fielded an entry for David Krikorian, and was involved in the Decatur entry for John Jefferson.

It was not the best of years for the MRD team, as the #66 King Taco Omecha MA01 failed to qualify for Karjala. Returning at Indianapolis, Krikorian made the field with relative ease, and was able to come home 30th while keeping the car in one piece. The #66 team did not enter at Decatur, as they made way for the Mid-South Racing Team entry of John Jefferson, which MRD had a hand in financing. Unfortunately, the money thrown at the entry went to waste as Jefferson failed to pre-qualify.

2012 looks to be brighter for the MRD Motorsports gang, as they signed Morgan Hamburg to a one season contract as they gear up for their first Independent's Trophy campaign. Hamburg has been right in the thick of the Independent's Trophy championship in the past two seasons, perhaps 2012 will be the year that Hamburg finally wins it.

2011 ARLA Elite Series MRD Year in Review

MRD Motorsports fielded 3 full-time teams in the ARLA Elite Series this season, and added a 4th team late in the season. Their ventures were mildly successful as far as race wins were concerned. Performance-wise, the teams were a bit inconsistent. Here are each driver's season-in-review and the outlook for 2012.

Joseph Howard had the most consistent season out of the MRD group, scoring a win in the 2nd round of the Fort Worth 500 Presented by Smash Beer. He had the win, 3 top 5's, 8 top 10's, and only two DNF's. He also won the pole twice, as he finished 10th in the final points standings. Earlier in the season, he signed a new deal to stay with MRD for 2012, and is once again expected to be a title challenger. Hopefully his luck will be a little better and he won't fall off the pace late in the season.

Suiiju Dejao was one driver who was hard to figure out. Coming off a disappointing 2010 after an incredible 2009 season in which Dejao won 3 races, once again the #37 team was largely disappointing. Dejao was only able to manage a top 5, and 5 top 10's. He won the pole for the first of the two Watkins Glen Twin 150k's, and finished 2nd in that race to Packer Carroll. He was relieved of his MRD driving duties after the Decatur Duels, and Tom Delgado stepped into the #37 for Rockford, finishing 21st in the Rockford 200. He will be driving for Kurt Walker in 2012, and we wish Dejao well.

Amy Patti was also a tough nut to crack. However, due to her status as a rookie, you could have given her a pass for a relatively rough season. She did however cap off her season with a win in race 2 of the Decatur Duels. However, her season was marred by constant bickering with her ex-boyfriend/team owner Tom Delgado. The two would constantly argue after races, as Delgado was trying to figure out where she had gone wrong that day. She had 2 top 5's and 6 top 10's to go along with her win, but she also had 5 DNF's. Patti left the team after Decatur to pursue non-motorsport opportunities, and we also wish Amy well in the future.

In only 3 starts in the 4th MRD #26, Drew Eisenman showed that he still had the talent to win races as he won race 1 of the Decatur Duels. If winning in only your 3rd ARLA Elite Series start means anything, then Drew will definitely be one to watch in 2012 as he tries to work his way back to the TM Master Cup Series after time away in the military.

Azuma Kazeyama filled the #73 slot for Rockford, and put the car solidly into B-Main #2, but could not advance further, finishing 8th. Kazeyama was considered for one of the MRD openings for 2012, but was ultimately not given a ride. He remains an option, however, in case Tom Delgado cannot make it to an ARLA event that his part-time #87 team is entered for.

Tom Delgado put himself in cars for two races, driving the #87 at Dwyer and the #37 at Rockford. Both times he put himself into the race with ease. However, he would be swept up in incidents with backmarkers both times, finishing 40th at Dwyer, and 21st at Rockford. Delgado is expected to run a part-time schedule in the #87, and when his Master Cup commitments do not allow him to be at the track when he's entered, it is pretty much assured that Azuma Kazeyama will be in the #87.

Joining MRD's ARLA program for 2012 will be the two Atsuro Technologies drivers in the now-defunct Formula Overdrive series. Kiriki Hetsuno will drive the #6, while Kyle Gaffigan will drive the #37. Both Hetsuno and Gaffigan were winners in the shortened Formula Overdrive season, powering Atsuro to an abbreviated Constructor's Championship. Ryota Atsuro sold his operation to MRD Motorsports during the 2011 season, and was allowed to continue the Atsuro ARLA experiment until the end of the current season. Hetsuno and Gaffigan join MRD with a lot of potential, and both are expected to challenge for wins at various points next season.

MRD Motorsports will also open a team in the ASCC to run in 2012. It is expected that John Jefferson, who attempted Decatur with his own Mid-South Racing Team, will be the driver of the #77 Kirby Lenard Cheyenne R20.

TM Master Cup Series driver and MRD Motorsports owner Tom Delgado was rushed this afternoon to a New York medical center after he collapsed at home. Delgado had reportedly finished a brief workout before collapsing. One anonymous source reported that prior to today's collapse, Delgado had been under a ton of stress all season and he was slowly beginning to crack under all the pressure put on him. Today may have been the biggest crack.

Just about anyone could have seen this coming, with Delgado's 2nd half struggles being well-documented this past season, knocking him out of championship contention, and failing to pre-qualify for the Round of Decatur really getting to him. Add onto that his failure in the ARLA Rockford 200, and you have someone who was under a lot of stress. His size doesn't help either, weighing in at 255 lbs and standing 6 feet tall. His family had been pressuring him to lose weight, but he never listened.

Sources are indicating that Delgado is in stable condition, but in a weak state. If all goes well, the hope is that he could be released from the hospital in a week.

Doctors revealed that massive stress played a big factor in Tom Delgado's heart attack, confirming what people already knew. Under the assurance of anonymity, the doctor explained why the heart attack happened.

"We all know how busy Tom has been the past few months, not just with racing his TM Master Cup and ARLA cars, but with television commitments, family commitments, and various other things he does, he was putting a ton of stress on his body and most importantly, his heart. His heart just could not handle the stress anymore, and that's how we're at this point. Tom's condition has stabilized a bit since yesterday afternoon, but we're not out of the woods by any means. We're still hoping that he recovers to where we can let him go home by next week, but as long as we don't have any major setbacks, Tom will have plenty of time to rest. At that point, I will have no problem clearing him to resume racing-related activities"

Tom's heart attack has stunned the majority of the racing world, as this seemingly healthy, albeit a bit big, 37-year old is now in the race for his life. Other drivers have taken to Twitter to wish Tom well in his recovery, below is merely a sampling.

AshTucker (Ashley Tucker, Tom's girlfriend): I can't stop crying right now The stress has got too much for him... Tom, get better soon <3

CameronTaylor149 (Cameron Taylor, one of Tom's rivals): Yes Tom and I aren't the best of friends, but it's very sad what happened to him recently. Our rivalry is irrelevant. Here's to hoping Tom gets better. He's a talented driver and while you could tell all this stress had an effect, I never expected this to happen. Get well Tom, hope to see you on the track in 2012.

MRD-KyleGaffigan (Kyle Gaffigan, drives for Tom Delgado at MRD Motorsports): I knew this was gonna happen...I figured the stress from this past season finally got to him and he just couldn't handle it anymore. From what I'm hearing though it was only a mild heart attack. Regardless, get well soon boss.

Tests on Delgado's Heart Show No Permanent Damage, Condition Improving

Revealed today were tests that were taken yesterday on Tom Delgado's heart as he recovers from a heart attack suffered a few days ago. The tests revealed no permanent damage done to his heart, though some of the wear and tear which caused the heart attack could still be seen.

"The years of working out really helped Tom here, but next time he might not be so lucky. His condition is improving and he is now awake and alert. He is not receiving visitors except for one person, and he asked not to reveal that person. People close to him though should know who he's talking about" Delgado's doctor said in a briefing.

A handful of reporters caught up to Kyle Gaffigan, who was still at the hospital, and asked him who it was. "All he wants with him right now is his girlfriend" Gaffigan said, referring to Ashley Tucker. "He kept mumbling "Where's Ashley? I want Ashley here..." and I guess he decided that he didn't want anyone else around him right now. That's fine, because I kinda' wanna go home" Gaffigan added. Gaffigan then left the hospital, to return home and resume his 2012 preparations.

Yesterday morning, Tom Delgado woke up from his slumber after the heart attack that put him in the hospital. Now there is talk about him going home this weekend to begin his preparations for the 2012 season. Via his Twitter account: "Once I get out of here, I will work even harder than ever before to maintain peak physical condition, and ensure my fans and my team that my health and personal problems are a thing of the past. I will go through whatever battery of tests they want me to go through, and I will pass them with flying colors, because you cannot keep Tom Delgado down".

2012 was looked at to be another career-defining year for Delgado after his 2nd half collapse of 2011 knocked him out of the top 10 in points, which he had been in all season, but now those plans are in jeopardy as Star Team Nemoto considers giving Delgado extra time to recover, which would mean him missing a few races, which would immediately kill Tom Delgado's championship hopes before they even began.

The #67 Gold Star Security/Rutgers University MA03 team took to the track for the Round of France, knowing that a solid points run would allow them to build some momentum for their future attempts. Despite a poor qualifying run, Morgan Hamburg drove the wheels off of the car and finished a very respectable 13th, good for 14 championship points and 58 points towards the Independent's Trophy standings.

We will see the #67 next at the Karjala Grand Prix. There are no Independent's Trophy points to be made at that race, but Hamburg will be looking to give MRD Motorsports a spot on the grid for the 2nd time in their history (first time MRD got on the grid for Karjala, Tom Delgado finished 5th in the #67 Capital One Lenard Q9 in 2008).

In a decision that has been eating at him for weeks, Tom Delgado finally made the announcement that he had been dreading. Delgado has decided to retire from full-time competition at the end of the 2012 season. He formally announced his intentions at a hastily-arranged press conference after practice for the Round of Wisconsin had ended. With his fiancee Ashley Tucker at his side, Tom Delgado made the announcement that had been held off for as long as possible.

"I've been pulled both ways over the past few weeks, with my friends and family towing both sides of the fence. However, over the past few days, I've had the opportunity to think about my career and my life. I discussed this with Ashley (Tucker), and we both think it's for the best that I start to slow down and retire from full time competition" Delgado said with tears quickly welling up in his eyes.

"It's been one crazy trip this season, a lot of stuff has happened as far as my health and my performance. Star Team Nemoto deserves better than I could give them at this point, and I do not want to stand in Katashima-san's way of hiring someone who can do better than me. Speaking of Katashima-san, he's the first person I want to thank for giving me a chance to save my career in 2010, and for keeping the faith in me whenever I've been such a colossal asshole. Any other team owner would have gotten rid of me and probably sued to get their money back. I also want to thank all the teammates I've ever had, and all the people I've ever worked for in my career. I know I burned a lot of bridges in my career, and I sincerely hope that there are no hard feelings, and if there still are, all I can keep saying is that I'm sorry. Finally, to all the fans out there, I'm sorry I could never meet your expectations, but I hope I've entertained you in some way during my career. Thank you for putting up with me for the past few years, and it's been my pleasure to try and put on a good show" Delgado said, pausing almost every minute to wipe tears away from his eyes.

When asked about a potential 2013 Independent's Trophy campaign, Delgado refused to comment. "Today's not the day for that" is all Delgado would say before walking away from the podium with his fiancee. Delgado, 38, leaves full-time Master Cup competition with two wins, both coming in 2011. He retires as one of the few to win in both the TM Master Cup Series & the ARLA Elite Series.

Reaction to Delgado's retirement was nearly instantaneous, as #ThankYouTD was trending on Twitter in the United States for, fittingly enough, 37 minutes.

Coming into Wisconsin with fading Independent's Trophy hopes, Morgan Hamburg and the #67 Gold Star Security Omecha had a very disappointing weekend, culminating in a disheartening 26th place finish. Hamburg's poor finish means that the #67 team is on 146 points, and cannot win the Independent's Trophy as the most points one can gain is 90 under the Independent's Trophy points chart, and Hamburg trails by 104 points with one race to go.

"Nothing went right for us this weekend. We took a big swing at the setup, and obviously we whiffed badly. We're all extremely disappointed in ourselves today" Hamburg's crew chief Mike Sutton said. "We wanted a good run today to not only keep ourselves in the Independent's Trophy discussion, but to give Tom (Delgado) something to smile about, especially with the news that he's retiring at the end of the season" Sutton added.

Away from all the racing this week, MRD Motorsports officials announced that the team is bleeding money to the tune of $10 million for the year. The heavy losses were announced at a meeting of investors earlier this morning. The organization blames the losses on the need to buy new equipment, new race cars, and hire new engineers as they've gone through nearly 10 sets of engineers this year as they try to improve their engine program.

However, these same officials indicated that MRD Motorsports is in a good financial position to profit in 2013 due to the cutbacks they are making to their motorsports efforts. "By reducing the number of teams we field all over the world, it will allow us to divert our resources more effectively and increase the performance of what we have now. Keep in mind that we are also continuing to develop our own in-house engines, so we have to spend the money necessary to improve its power, reliability, and general effectiveness. We feel that the losses suffered this year will set us up for success in the future, and we are willing to take the losses as a learning process" The official statement from MRD Motorsports on their financial failures this season.

MRD Motorsports announced that they would file the necessary paperwork to return to TM Lights for the 2013 season. Their driver in the #37 car is unknown at this time, as John Jefferson has been released from the team effective at the end of the season. Online betting sites have named ARLA & Dash Cup race winner Carlo De Pretto as the favorite to gain the #37 ride, but ASCC driver A.J. Murphy has also been mentioned among those in consideration.

It is also unclear as to whether or not Exide Batteries would be returning in their current role as main sponsor. There are rumblings that they are looking to cut back their support due to troubling economic times. MRD Motorsports may have trouble finding a full time sponsor at the moment, as it appears all their time and energy is focused on developing their first series of in-house engines, known as the MRD-TD1.

It was a very tough day for the MRD Motorsports teams, as drivers Ashley Tucker & Morgan Hamburg struggled in pre-qualifying and failed to make it past the first round. Tucker finished 23rd in her pre-qualifying heat, and Hamburg finished 32nd in his. It was a total loss on the day for the team, as team owner Tom Delgado also failed to pre-qualify in the Star Team Nemoto #37, and confirmed his retirement effective immediately, true to his word.

Both Nemoto-powered MRD cars struggled all weekend, and were mercifully put out of their misery by failing to pre-qualify here. Neither Tucker or Hamburg were immediately made available for comment after their heats. After this colossal failure, it is believed MRD Motorsports will hold their entries out of the final one-off race at Decatur in order to continue developing their own engines in the hopes of doing better in such races in 2013.

OOC: This article has been written in the vein of an unnamed national motorsports magazine that has named MRD Motorsports as the team that gets the least bang for their buck (spends a lot of money, but gets zero in the way of results).

The State of MRD Motorsports - A Sinking Ship?By Adam LaVell

MRD Motorsports owner and now former TM Master Cup Series driver Tom Delgado has a lot to think about these days. Fresh off of failing to pre-qualify for the Round of Indianapolis and announcing his retirement from the sport that made him relevant again after a boxing career that was hit or miss, Delgado now has some fresh worries about his racing team. He has spent nearly $30 million of his own money to build successful programs in the TM Master Cup Series, TM Lights, ARLA Elite Series, and Dash Cup over the past 4 years. Aside from his team's two wins in Dash Cup since they bought out Scuderia Perugia to get on the grid, Delgado has not seen anything resembling success with his teams.

On the TM Master Cup & TM Lights side of business, Morgan Hamburg has had a very underwhelming Independent's Trophy campaign and is out of contention heading into his final start, in a few months time in Brazil. John Jefferson has shown that you can indeed waste high-cost equipment in more ways than one, as he has struggled to score points in TM Lights this season. We know that Jefferson is not coming back to challenge in TM Lights for 2013, and it is unsure if Hamburg will return for their Independent's Trophy challenge next season.

Their ARLA team has suffered as well, dealing with a large amount of engine failures, and most notably, going through nine sets of engineers so far this season as they try to finish strong and pave the way for their first set of in-house engines, the MRD-TD1, to be under the hood of the team's cars for 2013.

"This year has not gone as we planned it, with all the mechanical failures and our inability to gain speed on the other Independent's Trophy entries. I think Tom (Delgado) now realizes that you need more than just money to build successful race teams, and we should begin to turn the corner next season" An MRD official said on the condition of anonymity. What he didn't mention was that the team as a business lost over $10 million in 2012 so far, and there's still several races for his teams left. That report of the big loss cited the high cost of repairs and the need to buy new parts to replace the ones destroyed in competition.

How much more money does Tom Delgado have to burn through, and would he consider selling the team to insure that he himself won't go completely broke? The way things are going, MRD Motorsports could very well be a sinking ship, but time will tell if they can get their act together and start turning a profit both off the track, and on the track.

MRD Motorsports confirmed this morning that they do not plan on applying for a 2013 Independent's Trophy entry. The team cited lack of sponsorship as their reasoning, but sources inside the organization were concerned about their image as a team after this year's disappointing campaign.

"We will not be applying for an Independent's Trophy entry for the 2013 TM Master Cup season. It makes no financial sense for us to do so, as we lost a ton of money this year with our attempt which has yielded no positive results. We were also not able to acquire sponsorship for the 2013 campaign, and thus it made even less sense financially to run with an unsponsored car. Instead, we will focus our efforts on TM Lights and perhaps one-off attempts at the major races" MRD Motorsports owner Tom Delgado said in a hastily-arranged press conference from Miami.

Recently retired former TM Master Cup Series driver Tom Delgado, twice a winner in the series, gave a very emotional interview detailing his highs and lows over the past few years in a segment that aired during the Round of Indianapolis Pre-Race show.

Full Transcript of Tom Delgado Interview

Alan Garner (Interviewer): When did you realize that you had to change your attitude to stay in the TM Master Cup Series?

Tom Delgado: 2009. I was putzing around in the back driving for Sam Morel, a great friend of mine who I have so much respect for. I didn't have the ability to get to the front, and at Sam Morel Racing we didn't have the best equipment. We were struggling to get out of the qualifying races, and it wasn't a fun time. The previous year, I had my falling out with the Munson boys at Ocean Motorsports and stole top 5's at Karjala and New York. I wasn't in a good place, my life was hell.

AG: How do you mean?

TD: I was heavy into alcohol. Heavy into painkillers. I had a back injury a long time ago that never really recovered, hence why I had painkillers. I didn't help matters when I put the two together, and it just made my attitude suck even more. Sam (Morel) didn't really put me on a tight leash, so I kinda' went off the deep end several times as far as drugs and alcohol went. I kept going on about how the world was screwing me over, when I was doing it to myself the entire <censored> time.

AG: What did it take for you to, in your own words, "clean yourself up"?

TD: My daughter was getting old enough to see what I was doing to my body and to my mind. The night before the 2009 Round of Indianapolis qualifying race, I woke up drenched in a cold sweat with my heart ready to leap out of my chest. That feeling was all I needed. Since then, I've only touched a drink for the purposes of filming my old program "Delgado Drinks the World", which has long since been cancelled. If I wasn't careful, I was going to ruin her mind with my own personal state...*long pause*...and that wasn't something she asked for.

AG: You had a few good results in 2009 driving for Sam Morel, but were not considered a favorite to land a ride in 2010. How did you manage to get a contract with Star Team Nemoto?

TD: I got lucky. Katzev Engineering was the first to call me about a ride for 2010, but I turned them down because I was not prepared to relocate to Russia, where their headquarters are. I was resigned to sitting out 2010, or running a handful of races with MRD Motorsports (now Tom Delgado Racing). At the tail end of the Silly Season, Star Team Nemoto called, looking for an American driver to round out their roster. Katashima-san promised me that I wouldn't have to relocate to Japan, and that my equipment would be on par with the rest of the team's, so I signed right then and there. Money didn't matter to me, I just wanted one last chance to show people that I wasn't some fluke driver.

AG: Things didn't start off so well though, no?

TD: No. We were slow throughout the first half of the season, and perilously close to being back in the Qualifying Races. We had to fight hard to get our #837 TirADE/Panasonic Nemoto out of that mire. Then the second half of the season rolled around, and we figured out how to succeed.

AG: That second half of the season was very kind to you, netting all kinds of top 10 results. One thing that was not kind to you though, was early in the season, the death of your grandmother.

TD: Yeah, it hit me hard. I really wanted her to see me succeed at something before she passed away. I kept racing after that, but for a few races, my heart was just in shambles. My mind wasn't committed. Part of me just wanted to go home and stay there. Luckily I had wonderful teammates like Zuzu (Azuma Kazeyama) & Yami (Yamino Tenchi), who picked me up when I was down. They helped keep me focused when every part of me just didn't want to be there.

AG: We referenced the second half of the 2010 season earlier. Very briefly, put it into your own words.

TD: Miraculous. We were in the mid-20's in points and not looking like a team that could make a run. By the time Decatur was done, we were 9th in the standings and I had earned a seat at the end of season awards banquet. I had earned Comeback Driver of the Year honors, as well as tying for the Most Popular Driver award with Alexis (Rainsford). Racing became fun again, and with the fun came the results that we were looking for. The only thing missing, was a win.

AG: You wouldn't have to wait too much longer for that win. 2011 season opening race at the Las Vegas Autoring. What was your mindset?

TD: I couldn't wait for 2011 to get started. We found our stride at the end of 2010, and I felt we could carry that momentum into 2011, and get a win at some of the bigger tracks. Never did I think that I would be able to take the win at Las Vegas. I felt like an invisible force was pushing me to that win, led by my grandmother. I really do believe that, I credit her for my first win. I put the checkered flag I got from that race in front of her grave, and it's still there today.

Next Post: Part 2 - 2011 Meltdown, the Heart Attack, and Eventually Retirement...

AG: Tell me about that second half of 2011. What happened to knock you out of the championship hunt?

TD: Karma happened. The heavens decided I was not going to be the champion. We won Michigan, but we didn't finish higher than 15th in a race after that. Killed our momentum, and our title hopes. Then we all pretty much gave up on the season and DNPQ'ed for Decatur. Thus I fall out of the top 10 in the points, miss out on a seat at the awards banquet, and then I got back into painkillers.

AG: You got addicted to your back meds again?

TD: Absolutely not. My knees were acting up this time, so I had the doctor prescribe me some heavy-dosage stuff. Took them exactly how I was told to. I think I worked way too hard down the stretch, trying to please everyone and keep myself relevant in the title hunt. Obviously it didn't work.

AG: Then at the start of 2012, you had your heart attack...

TD: Yeah. I was working out that day, really trying to lose weight. I had ballooned to around 255-260 pounds after my last race, and I was trying to regain some of my conditioning for the 2012 season. I had just gotten done doing some bench presses when I felt this sharp pain my chest. Tried to catch my breath, but it wasn't going well. I was able to call 911 in time before I blacked out.

AG: That heart attack caught a lot of people by surprise. Your fiancee, Ashley Tucker, was especially taken aback by this.

TD: Don't remind me. The first few times she came to see me at the hospital, she cried the entire time. Ashley's a good girl, she was so concerned for me that she wouldn't leave my side.

AG: How hard did you work to try and get back in time for the Round of Las Vegas?

TD: I got myself down to about 235 pounds. I was starting to look good again, and I was feeling good again. I had driven a race in Charlotte to see if I could run a full race. I felt really good after that, but Katashima-san decided to play it cautiously and hold me out of the first three races. I was okay with that, but I felt that I could race.

AG: When you returned at Brands Hatch, you got into an accident with Anthony Griffith, and the officials deemed it your fault and docked you points. What do you think about that looking back at it now?

TD: I still think the officials were blind to the facts, but there's no point in <censored> about it now. Either I do what I did and only wreck myself and Griffith, or I hold my line and kill the entire back of the field. What would YOU have done?

AG: I don't know. I'm not a racer. Anyway, you failed to pre-qualify for Karjala, but you rebounded with a great 4th place finish at Vnukuovo.

TD: I felt we had a podium car. We just couldn't catch up to Sykesy, Louis, or Jacob. We qualified better than we had all season. Unfortunately that was the only really bright spot of 2012 for me. We did <censored> all after that.

AG: Then came the end of your Master Cup career. Indianapolis. I'll let you tell me about that in your own words.

TD: I was planning on retiring at the end of the season because I was becoming more concerned about my health. I sat out Michigan during the MCMA strike, and Louis did a great job of getting the team a win. However, we came to Indianapolis and even though I was on pole last season in the Nemoto, nobody gave me a chance to make it into the field. That got me motivated enough to put my career on the line. If there was ANYONE who could get a car that wasn't as fast as anyone else into a big race, it was ME. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get it done.

AG: Thus, you quit...

TD: I'm going to stop you right there, because that's a <censored> stupid assumption. I did not quit on Star Team Nemoto. You and anyone else who thinks that can go to hell. I retired because my performances became detrimental to Star Team Nemoto. They deserved so much better than I could give them. It wasn't fair for them to suffer because I could no longer be at my best.

AG: Okay. Before this gets any heated, let's put a post-script on your TM Master Cup career. How do you want to be remembered by Master Cup fans?

TD: That's not my decision. It's up to them to decide how they want to remember my performance. If I could decide, though...I would want them to remember me as someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. I never pulled any punches with how I felt. If I thought something was wrong, I told you, consequences be damned. I was one of the few remaining honest people in a sport chock full of liars.

AG: What's next for Tom Delgado?

TD: I still hold great passion for this sport, and I will run some ARLA Elite Series events for the rest of 2012, and a few events in 2013 as well. I don't see myself ever returning to Master Cup competition though. There's no place left for me there, and would only really ever consider coming back if a top team called for my services in a reserve role. I'm not healthy enough to run a full season anymore.

AG: Last question. Any regrets, and anything you want to say to the fans who may be watching this?

TD: My only regret was having all these burned bridges. I did way too much of that stuff. As for all the fans who are watching this, thank you for supporting me and this great product for many years. I'm gonna be doing some motivational speaking tours across the country during the winter, so check tomdelgadoracing.com for dates and locations.

After Dan Mullen said some very unflattering things about MRD Motorsports (the soon-to-be Tom Delgado Racing), Tom Delgado has quickly stepped to the defense of his organization, launching a scathing attack on Twitter, then later releasing a statement defending his hiring/firing policies, and taking several shots at all of his detractors.

"I hope the world has taken off their anti-TDR earmuffs off for this one, because you're about to learn something. At Tom Delgado Racing, we have certain criteria that must be met of our employees. One of those is performance-related, and it goes from ownership, down to our drivers, all the way down to the engineers and repair teams that build and fix our race cars. If said performance criteria is not met, heads roll. We've not been successful this year because I screwed up in the hiring process. We have been playing from behind all year with regards of our engine development program. Now that we no longer have MRD backing us, we are under even more pressure to find something that works. The fact of the matter is, we've had so many engine failures this season, it comes down to the people who built our engines. It comes down to those who worked on the cars. It also comes down to the people who have driven our cars. This is not an isolated problem, this is a team-wide problem that has prevented Tom Delgado Racing from reaching the expectations as set down by yours truly. There is no excuse for failure, and failures are dealt with swiftly. Things will be much different in 2013, because now a certain broadcaster, with his biased remarks against my organization, has motivated me to be even more involved. This broadcaster will be made to look like an even bigger fool than he already does, and Tom Delgado Racing will be the ones with the last laugh."

After reading the statement, Delgado flipped off the press and walked off. It's pretty clear that regardless of what he calls his race team, Tom Delgado has still not mastered the art of humility, but if he did master it, he wouldn't be the widely popular figure he is today. As one former TDR crewman put it: "Tom Delgado is popular because he's an asshole"

The Tom Delgado Racing Young Driver Test at the New York Autoring has been postponed until at least mid-December. The postponement was caused by structural damage to the TDR headquarters in New York from Superstorm Sandy. Reportedly, several of the TDR test cars were damaged and totaled in the storm.

"We're disappointed that we had to push this important day back, but it was necessary. We need to survey the damage that the storm caused to our building, and then make the necessary repairs" Tom Delgado said in a statement.

The Tom Delgado Racing Young Driver Test at the New York Autoring has been postponed until at least mid-December. The postponement was caused by structural damage to the TDR headquarters in New York from Superstorm Sandy. Reportedly, several of the TDR test cars were damaged and totaled in the storm.

"We're disappointed that we had to push this important day back, but it was necessary. We need to survey the damage that the storm caused to our building, and then make the necessary repairs" Tom Delgado said in a statement.

Tom Delgado Racing Voted Worst in 2012 as Delgado Takes the Heat From All Sides

In several motorsports magazines, Tom Delgado Racing was unanimously voted the "Worst Racing Team in 2012" based on a criteria of results, public relations, and fan support. This off the heels of TDR (formerly MRD Motorsports) being named "Most Disappointing Racing Team" earlier in the year.

An excerpt from the article: "Tom Delgado commands (and demands) respect on the track. Off the track, however, he is hardly worth giving any respect. His organization has continued to disappoint its supporters with their poor performances, poor public relations, and even worse fan support, as Facebook likes and Twitter follows have decreased more than 80% over the past three months. Such a drop in everything shows that the fans, and the world, are seeing Tom Delgado Racing for what it is: A second rate, desperate attempt for Delgado to remain relevant after his racing career fizzled out due to so-called health concerns". The article continues blasting Delgado, calling him a "No talent drunk trying to hang on to relevance whose wins in Master Cup and ARLA were total flukes", and citing that he's the reason why the MRD company stopped backing his operation. "There's a reason why MRD withdrew all their money from his team, and all you have to do is look at the idiot running the ship."

Nobody at Tom Delgado Racing was available for comment, and at last check, Tom Delgado himself was probably on his 5th bottle of whiskey. We're pretty sure he's passed out from the alcohol poisoning by now.

Tom Delgado will miss at least 6 weeks of racing after partially tearing the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his surgically repaired right knee. The injury came in a mid-race crash at the Dash Cup American Exhibition at Daytona.

This latest setback for Delgado caps off a 2012 to forget for not just Delgado, but for Tom Delgado Racing in general. While the injury puts his status for the start of the 2013 ARLA Elite Series season in question, it is believed that due to the fact that he didn't completely tear the ACL, he could be ready to race after the opening round, which is fortuitous as he is not currently slated to run at USA International Speedway that round.

While in the hospital being examined for the partially torn ACL in his right knee, Tom Delgado took an unexpected turn for the worst as he had a heart attack for the second time this year. No new information is known at this time, other than he is being prepared for emergency surgery.

The Daytona Beach hospital in which Tom Delgado is currently in has come out and denied the rumors that were going around that Delgado had passed away through the night. They also decided to give an update on his condition.

"Mr. Delgado has not passed away. Someone must have gotten hold of some bad information, because he is still alive and has begun to respond to treatment. The problem we're facing is that after the first heart attack, Mr. Delgado healed rather quickly and was up and about at 100% again in nearly 2 months. This time, the problem is much more complicated, and there's been some significant damage done to his heart from his previous years of hard living. We are monitoring the situation and we continue to hope that he responds positively to our treatments so he may continue to have a positive quality of life." An official from the hospital said.

Delgado continues to be listed in critical condition, and it is believed that his fiancee Ashley Tucker has not left his side from the moment she arrived.

Doctors gave another update on the condition of Tom Delgado, announcing that he had woken up from a medically induced coma through the night.

"Mr. Delgado is now awake and partially alert. He's still very groggy from everything that has happened, but at least he's awake. We will continue to monitor his heart and treat him accordingly in the hopes that we could let him go home before Christmas and continue his ACL rehab as an outpatient. He has responded better to treatment and that is why the possibility of a pre-Christmas discharge is now being discussed internally" The doctor in charge of treating Delgado said in a briefing.

Delgado, 38, is expected to announce his full retirement from motorsports when he is back home in New York.

Fresh off the deaths of two promising drivers in the 2012 Hanmore World Championships, Tom Delgado took time from his recovery from his heart attack and ACL tear to make a statement on behalf of Tom Delgado Racing. On crutches outside his home in Brooklyn, NY, with a few press members gathered, Delgado spoke as it began to snow.

"The past few days have not been good for the racing fraternity. We've lost two talented drivers, and two friends of mine. Tiffany (Matthews) & Tyson (Lautenschlager) were in the prime of their careers, ready to make a great impact in 2013, and they had their lives tragically cut short. On behalf of every employee and supporter of Tom Delgado Racing, we would like to send our deepest condolences to those injured, and most of all, to those lost during the event. We, as drivers, know the risks that come with our sport every time we put on a helmet and strap ourselves into that seat. We, as drivers, know that every time we get into a race car, we might very well not come out. We, as athletes, defy logic every time we race by going as fast as we do. Now, we...as people, must figure out how to make this sport safer. Whatever the answer is, we must find it. We'll never make racing 100% safe, but every little bit helps, and we must take every safety advance, however minor, and use it to make our sport safer. Tiffany...Tyson...from the bottom of my heart, I promise you that your deaths will not be in vain."

Delgado then hobbled away back into his house without taking questions from the media, tears pouring down his face from the moment he started reading his statement.

(taken from the fictitious 2013 edition of Legends of Racing Magazine, which covers TM Master Cup, TM Lights, ARLA, ASCC, and has profiles on some of racing's all time greats)

Tom Delgado Not Giving Up After Heart Stopping 2012

In January of 2012, a seemingly healthy yet a little overweight Tom Delgado had an unexpected heart attack after working out in his personal gym in his Brooklyn, New York home. Fast forward to December 2012, he suffers a partial ACL tear in his right knee, then suffers another heart attack. The second heart attack would have done in some, but not Delgado. The now semi-retired former 2-time TM Master Cup Series race winner has begun rehabilitating his knee injury, and recently on Twitter, teased interest in running in the American Stock Car Championship for the 2013 calendar year.

"I'm giving myself three to four months to get this knee 100%" Delgado said in our interview, which you can watch in its entirety on legendsofracing.net. "When you've been through as much as I have, you gotta give your body extra time to recover. I pushed myself too hard to come back in 2012 after the first heart attack, and it affected my performances. This time it's gotta be a slow-build process" Delgado added. The 38-year old last drove in TM Master Cup for Star Team Nemoto, retiring after failing to qualify for the Round of Indianapolis, and recently, raced in the Rockford 200 B-mains in the ARLA Elite Series. Delgado had some history in the 200, finishing 21st in 2011 despite claiming he had a car that could win the whole thing.

As far as Delgado's ASCC interest, it is only in the exploratory stages. "Right now I'm 100% focused on getting my knee and the rest of my body to where it needs to be before we do anything regarding racing. For me to go into the ASCC though, it has to be the right situation. The clock is ticking on my body, and my ability to win races & championships. I'm not going to be walking into a team destined to run in the middle or the back. I don't have time for that. I'm 38 years old and physically, I'm a mess. I can't do what Dale Roswell's been able to do and hang with the best in the world in his later years" Delgado admitted, citing his age and his currently poor physical condition. "Maybe if I can keep myself healthy, I can try to emulate the success Roswell has had. I've always looked at him with great respect and admiration, and if there's any driver to be like nowadays, it's Dale" Delgado added.

Regardless of his 2013 plans, Delgado will have plenty to keep him busy, as he runs Tom Delgado Racing, which will operate in TM Lights & ARLA Elite Series. If his services become available as a driver again, you can bet your life savings that there will be plenty of teams thinking about taking a chance on Delgado's physical condition lasting an entire season for the benefit of his Super Speedway & Road Course prowess. Takumi Katashima ended up looking like a genius, getting 2 + seasons out of the injury-prone, yet very fast New Yorker. Perhaps someone else will look like a genius if they end up taking a flyer on this 2-time TM Master Cup race winner.

Tom Delgado Racing will not contest the 2013 TM Lights season. In a statement released from TDR this afternoon, they announced their plans to sit out as they have not been able to find a "competent" driver to take the available seat.

"We regret to inform our fans that due to our failure to find a driver who can take our team forward in a positive manner, we will not be contesting the 2013 TM Lights championship." The statement from TDR read. This team ran in TM Lights last season with John Jefferson, finishing well down the order in the championship, which led the team to completely overhaul how they did things. They had been seeking a driver with Master Cup experience, and had targeted the likes of Ben Atkins, Jacob Eichholtz, and Scott Steudler. All three ended up with rides elsewhere.

Tom Delgado himself would take to Twitter to explain the decision. "Our decision to withdraw from TM Lights was based solely around the fact that there was nobody competent enough left on the free agent market to justify giving our car to. After last season's disaster season, we were looking to bring in a driver who would actually know what he or she is doing, and we at TDR do not see any such driver left. While we believe in offering opportunity, we must be reasonable about it. The marketplace is not good enough right now to offer said opportunity. As disappointed as everyone at Tom Delgado Racing is right now, I truly believe this will be a good decision in the long term, as it will allow us to conserve our resources for future challenges." Delgado said of the decision.

There are rumors that Tom Delgado Racing will be dissolved after 2013 due to lack of funds, and those rumblings will get louder and louder with this latest cost-cutting move.

Cameron Taylor, a former rival of Delgado, commented on TDR's pullout:

"I have to say that Tom's wrong on this one. There are plenty of drivers out there that could fetch a championship. Damien Snyder could do great things and he could really use a ride. Robert Dorian and Paul Gartley are proved Lights winners. It's really a mistake on Tom's part"

It looks like Tom Delgado Racing has gotten their act together after a disappointing 2012, and then some.

In race 1, Joseph Howard won the pole and was never out of the top 5 the entire race as he showed the way towards the checkered flag in dominating fashion for his 3rd ARLA Elite Series win, and 3rd straight season-opening victory.

Race 2 gave us a caution-fest, but it was Jim Hayes who sliced through the field from 3rd and picked up his second win of the week, beating out former TDR driver Kyle Gaffigan. "This has been quite the weekend. I knew we had at least one race win in us, but to win EVERYTHING there is to win this week, that's just amazing. Everyone at Tom Delgado Racing should be extremely proud of their efforts!" Delgado said when asked of his feelings about sweeping the week.

Word came through the pipeline that Tom Delgado was to resign as Head of Racing Operations at his own company after a dreary weekend at Pocono. Through the night after the last chance qualifier for the Stars & Stripes 776, it was confirmed that he had indeed resigned. It was also revealed that Delgado would now play no further part at Tom Delgado Racing, the team he built with the remaining ashes of MRD Motorsports.

Over the past few months, it is believed Delgado, 38, had been quietly selling his majority share in TDR to other stockholders in the company, and a few weeks ago, the last of his shares was sold to a consortium in Seattle, who now own a majority stake in the team. Despite losing his controlling interest in the team, he was still head of racing operations and had final say on all decisions regarding the racing side.

Now, with Delgado's resignation, his master plan seems to be coming into focus, and that plan is to be out of the sport entirely by 2014.

JUST IN: Statement from the TDR Board of Directors

We at TDR have accepted the resignation of Tom Delgado as the head of racing operations at Tom Delgado Racing. Tom did an incredible job of rebuilding this organization from the fall of MRD Motorsports, and to get us to the point where we have two drivers in contention for the ARLA Elite Series championship. He started TDR out of his own pocket and now with the help of numerous successes and investors, TDR is now able to sustain itself. After only putting 2 out of our 4 entries into the Stars & Stripes 776 despite the investment of nearly 2 million dollars into parts and development for this race alone, Mr. Delgado admitted that time and the sport itself had passed him by and tendered his resignation. The board of directors at Tom Delgado Racing would like to thank Tom for everything he has done and hope that he finds the peace and happiness that he has been searching for out of racing, and also wish him the best of luck in his 2013 American Stock Car Championship campaign.

Fresh from the recent ownership turmoil, the Tom Delgado Racing board of directors announced a $5 million dollar loss from the first quarter of 2013. They cited increased costs across the board & the excessive contracts that former owner Tom Delgado gave to the team's drivers in various series for the reason for such a heavy loss.

"Due to the current poor economic climate, we have not been able to make any of the money invested into our teams this year. We remain confident that a turnaround in the team's finances is in sight as our recent parts & repair costs have gone down during the summer, and we have obtained various regional sponsorships. We have also begun the process of streamlining our research & development, and our hiring practices in an effort to bridge the gap between the profits and expenses" A statement from the board of directors read.

Since their completion of their majority takeover of the team, the Seattle-based consortium has not revealed themselves, and have issued statements through the board of directors. Such a mystery over who the team's new owners are could still have an impact on any future profits for the rest of 2013.

Tom Delgado finally came out of hiding after his failure to qualify for the Stars & Stripes 776, claiming he had no idea whatsoever about the reports that he had sold TDR to a group from Seattle, and subsequently that group had sold to another group in Niagara Falls. Sporting a bald head and a shaggy gray beard, Delgado moved to refute all claims that Tom Delgado Racing was not under his control anymore.

"You guys really had to reach for stories this past month, didn't you? Seriously, get a life. I still hold full control of Tom Delgado Racing, all I did was step out of the spotlight for a month. You people are why we can't have nice things" Delgado said, as he started laughing uncontrollably.

OOC: Yeah. After talking with Cynon, I got one word for you people. RETCON! Remind me never to try and outsmart myself again...

Tom Delgado Racing has been granted a promoter's option entry for the Round of South Carolina, where Jim Hayes will drive the #36 CanSwav Aluminum Plant Omecha MA03. The news coming today from the team's Twitter account.

TomDelgadoRacing: We've been silent for awhile, but that's because we've all been hard at work getting our Master Cup car ready for Darlington. We've been granted a promoter's option! #TMMC

The team made a very disappointing Independent's Trophy bid last year with Morgan Hamburg, finishing 11th in the standings. Afterwards, they vowed not to return until they got their act together. They still don't look like they have their act together, but a promoter's option was hard to turn down.

"They reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in sending a car to South Carolina, and since we were already working on trying to get a Promoter's Option for the Round of New York, we had a car ready. I then asked Jim (Hayes) if he wanted to go do it, and he told me in his own unique way to "load the hauler". Thus, we're in the field for Darlington. Funny how life works, huh?" Tom Delgado said in an interview with a local South Carolina newspaper. Until recently, Delgado had not been seen in over a month, and in that time his Facebook fan page & his Twitter account were closed without fanfare. He hasn't explained why he was not seen for a month, but word from his agent was that he had been very ill since he returned home from Pocono.

Tragedy hit Tom Delgado late last night, as his father passed away at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer. A grief-stricken Delgado left his team in South Carolina and headed back to New York to be with his family. He had been in South Carolina preparing Tom Delgado Racing's #36 CanSwav Aluminum Plant Omecha for the TM Master Cup Series Round of South Carolina.

OOC: I will once again be taking a leave of absence. My dad's health has declined and I'm going to be at his side for awhile.

Tom Delgado Racing announced that they are looking into returning for 2014 in the FARC Elite Series (formerly ARLA). They will not have the backing of longtime manufacturer Nemoto, as they are not among the manufacturers for the new car. It is unclear at this time who TDR would jump aboard with. Lenard is a possibility, as TDR owner Tom Delgado is campaigning in ASCC this season with Ocean Motorsports, a Lenard team.

As for the driver, or drivers of the TDR entries, officials within Tom Delgado Racing have suggested that they would like to retain both Jim Hayes & Joseph Howard, who have been in championship contention all season despite poor form in the middle of the season. However, as was their policy last offseason, TDR will not stand in their drivers' way if a Master Cup opportunity comes knocking.

Don't Call it A(nother) Comeback: Tom Delgado Desires to End Top-Tier Retirement Period

One of the biggest flip-floppers in the history of racing is at it again. Ocean Motorsports driver Tom Delgado says he is once again healthy and wants to end his retirement from the TM Master Cup Series & ARLA Elite Series (soon to be called FARC). However, he admitted that he would not consider a full time deal until his Ocean Motorsports contract expires.

"I've had a rotten two years. I've been to hell and back. I've been in more pain than any of you could ever imagine...and despite all of that, I keep coming back for more punishment. I guess you could call me racing's ultimate punching bag" Delgado said, talking about the incredible events of his life since his first retirement in 2012. "I have a contract with Ocean for 2013, and I'm putting all my strength and all my energy towards doing well for the Munson boys. After that, who knows? A return to ARLA is never out of the question even though I didn't think before I spoke back at Pocono, and after watching my TDR guys work their asses off at Darlington in Master Cup, I have that fire back in my belly. I have something to prove, not just to the race fans who think the sport has passed me by, but to myself. I gotta know if I can still be the best in the world. I'm going to be 40 next year, and I want to win a championship somewhere before I become a fossil!" Delgado added.

In his career, Tom Delgado has won twice in the TM Master Cup Series, and once in the ARLA Elite Series. He has also made a handful of starts in Dash Cup. With a win in ASCC this season, he will join a very exclusive club of drivers to have won in Master Cup, ARLA, and ASCC.

The aftermath of the Goodwin's Super Mart 200 caused a lot of anger, mainly directed at Tom Delgado Racing driver Carlo De Pretto...or should we say, EX-TDR driver Carlo De Pretto. The Tornado Alley Trophy contender was fired after causing several reckless accidents. Tom Delgado justified the firing as an act of discipline in a team that was lacking it, blaming himself for what seemed like a mental meltdown on Carlo's part. "I remember the words of my late father, when I told him that I had hired Carlo. He said to me "Carlo's words exceed his talents, do not give him any significant tasks". It has come true, and I deeply regret my own ignorance. Discipline has not been strictly enforced. I have not used my drivers properly, and that has caused our decline, so it's my fault. When it comes to an army, or a race team for that matter, the leader must make the law supreme. The law must be enhanced, or how can your men support you? In facing such a failure, if I am not held solely responsible, how can future discipline be strictly carried out?" Delgado said, addressing the firing while lamenting his own shortcomings as a team owner.

De Pretto defended himself after the race, claiming that there was an issue with the car, and while he tried to bring it home as best as he could, he could not do so. "Car had damage, so it break down. Nothing to do, yet I am fired. Humiliating!" De Pretto said. "He was looking more towards his retirement than to finishing the season strong and giving us a Tornado Alley Trophy. Now he's gone and put us out of contention for it, with a team that has been barred from Rockford. If anyone should be crying foul about his actions, it's me! He has cost us a significant amount of money! He can expect to not receive his race paycheck anytime soon, if at all!" Delgado added when given a chance to reply to those comments.

A disappointed Tom Delgado climbed out of his car after crashing out of his Rockford 200 B-Main event. He had been running in the top half of the field and was biding his time before making a challenge for the win.

"Simply put, we were in the wrong place, surrounded by the wrong people. Most of these drivers ran out of talent way before they got to the track. It is what it is, you can't make the worms around you drive better. Only they can do that for themselves, and they are clearly not willing to do so. It was fun while it lasted though, I've always liked racing here" Delgado said in his post-race interview.

Later, he would be the recipient of some harsh criticism from fellow driver Richard Scott, being implored to "retire again, and stay that way". You could say that Delgado threw the book at Scott in reply. It is safe to say that he has no intention of heeding Richard Scott's advice.

By virtue of his finish compared to Rip Tyler's finish tonight in the Rockford 200, Joseph Howard has become the first driver in history to win a TM Master Cup Series championship and an ARLA Elite Series championship. He can thank Herbie Finkleberg for edging Rip Tyler to the line on the last lap of the race.

Team owner Tom Delgado was disgusted when he thought the team had lost the title because of Tyler's 2nd place finish, as he was heard muttering "So damn close...", but his disgust turned to jubilation and relief when informed that Howard had won the title by 4 points.

"I thought we had given it away on that last restart, I really did. It was really squeaky bum time, but we got through it and here we are, 2013 ARLA Elite Series owner's champion! Joseph did an amazing job all year, and I'll always be grateful to him for bringing the championship home. He's got a job for life if he wants it. I could never repay him for the success he's brought us" Delgado said on pit road.

Meanwhile, by starting the Rockford 200, Jim Hayes secured the rookie of the year award. He finished 12th in the points standings after being in the top 10 for most of the season. "Jim's gonna be fighting for the championship in 2014. A lot of people criticized me for signing him, but he's a great driver and he has all the potential in the world. I stuck by him, and my faith was rewarded." Delgado said of Hayes.